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MEMORIAL 


PATRICK  A.  COLLINS 


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MEMORIAL 


OF 


PATRICK  A.  COLLINS 


FROM   THE 


CITY    OF    BOSTON 


PREPARED  BY  ORDER  OF  THE  CITY  COUNCIL  BY  JOHN  F.  DEVER, 
CLERK  OF  COMMITTEES 


<L. 


BOSTON 

Municipal  Printing  Office 

1906 


lv8, 


City  of  Boston, 
In  Boabd  of  Aldermen,  December  22,  1905. 

Ordered,  That  the  clerk  of  committees  be  directed  to  pre- 
pare an  edition  of  two  thousand  copies  of  a  memorial  volume  con- 
taining an  account  of  the  memorial  services  to  Hon.  Patrick  A. 
Collins,  held  by  the  city  government  on  December  20,  1905 ; 
the  expense  of  the  same  to  be  charged  to  the  appropriation  for 
city  council,  contingent  expenses,  each  member  of  the  city 
government  of  1905  to  receive  at  least  three  copies. 

Passed.  Sent  down  for  concurrence.  December  28th,  came 
up  concurred. 

Approved  by  the  Acting  Mayor  December  29,  1905. 


tf-J    -u- 


ACTION  OF  THE  CITY  COUNCIL. 


Special  meetings  of  both  branches  of  the  City  Council  were 
held  in  their  respective  chambers  on  Friday,  September  15, 
1905,  at  noon,  pursuant  to  the  following  call: 

City  of  Boston, 
Office  of  the  Mayor,  September  14,  1905. 

To  the  Members  of  the  City  Council : 

You  are  hereby  requested  to  meet  in  your  respective  chambers  in  the 
City  Hall,  Boston,  on  Friday,  September  15,  1905,  at  12  o'clock,  noon, 
for  the  purpose  of  taking  appropriate  action  on  the  death  of  Mayor 
Patrick  A.  Collins,  which  occurred  this  forenoon,  and  of  expressing  the 
sorrow  felt  by  the  citizens  of  Boston  at  the  loss  sustained  through  his 
death. 

Yours  respectfully, 

Daniel  A.  Whelton,  Acting  Mayor. 


IN    BOARD   OF   ALDERMEN. 


The  Board  of  Aldermen  was  called  to  order  by  Alderman 
Bowen,  senior  member,  and  the  call  for  the  meeting,  as  printed 
above,  was  read  and  sent  down. 

The  following  was  received  : 

City  of  Boston, 
Office  of  the  Mayor,  September  15|  1905. 
To  the  City  Council : 

It  is  my  painful  though  manifest  duty  to  officially  communicate  to 
you  the  deplorable  fact  that  the  Mayor  of  Boston,  the  Hon.  Patrick  A. 
Collins,  is  dead. 

Far  from  the  city,  whose  affairs  he  directed  with  exalted  wisdom  and 
admirable  grace,  he  has  been  quickly  summoned  to  the  Kingdom  of 
his  God.     A  type  of  self-made  man,  than  whom  none  was  higher,  has 


6  MEMOEIAL   OF 

closed  his  earthly  exile,  and  upon  a  common  altar  the  entire  people  of 
our  bereaved  city  kneel,  breathing  to  heaven  a  fervent  prayer  that  the 
immortal  soul  of  Patrick  A.  Collins  may  rest  in  peace.  Nearly  all  the 
major  years  of  his  life  were  dedicated  to  public  service  at  home  and 
abroad,  and  the  record  that  survives  glitters  with  brilliant  achievement 
in  a  setting  of  stainless  and  rugged  character.  His  illustrious  career 
fitly  attests  the  possibilities  of  wordly  success,  without  sacrifice  of 
honor  or  manliness,  in  our  country  of  liberty,  equality  and  opportunity. 
It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to  suggest  any  specific  action  on  your  part, 
as  I  am  satisfied  that  the  proprieties  of  the  sad  occasion  will  be  fully 

met. 

Respectfully, 

Daniel  A.  Whelton,  Acting  Mayor. 
Read  and  sent  down. 


Alderman  Fred  E.  Bolton  offered  the  following : 

Resolved,  That  the  City  Council  have  learned  with  deep  sorrow  of 
the  sudden  death  of  Mayor  Patrick  A.  Collins,  a  sorrow  felt  keenly  by 
all  who  knew  him  in  public  and  private  life. 

The  example  he  set  of  noble  manhood  and  high  achievement  may 
well  be  emulated  by  the  youth  of  our  country.  Starting  as  a  poor 
boy  in  an  alien  land,  undergoing  severe  hardships  in  order  to  obtain 
the  education  he  desired,  he  became  by  his  indomitable  will  and  force 
of  character  a  commanding  figure  in  national,  state  and  city  affairs. 

A  man  of  unswerving  honesty,  of  high  ability,  of  absolute  fearless- 
ness, sincerity  and  directness,  whose  motives  and  actions  throughout  a 
long  and  useful  career  were  never  even  questioned,  his  life  will  long 
remain  an  inspiration  to  his  fellow-citizens.  His  life  and  achieve- 
ments are  a  striking  illustration  of  what  may  be  accomplished  in  our 
country  by  courage  and  determination  in  the  face  of  apparently  over- 
whelming odds. 

Resolved,  That  we  tender  our  respectful  sympathy  to  the  family  of 
the  deceased,  joining  with  them  in  their  sorrow. 

The  resolutions  were  read  a  second  time,  and  the  question 
came  on  their  adoption. 


Alderman  James  M.  Curley  said : 

Mr.  Chairman, —  As  an  humble  member  of  the  City  Government  I 
arise  here  to  express  my  heartfelt  regret  at  the  great  loss  sustained  by 
the  entire  country  in  the  sudden  death  of  the  chief  magistrate  of  this 
great  City  of  Boston. 


PATKICK   A.    COLLINS.  7 

General  Collins  reminds  one  in  many  respects  of  the  late  martyred 
Lincoln,  being  appreciated  and  loved  by  those  by  whom  he  was  best 
known.  The  story  of  his  early  life,  his  struggles  and  grand  progress, 
will  ever  be  an  incentive  to  the  young  men  of  this  country  as  well  as  to 
the  emigrant  from  all  parts  of  the  entire  globe.  His  fortitude,  courage 
and  earnest  devotion  to  duty  marked  this  Christian  gentleman  and 
model  American  citizen. 

By  his  death  the  nation  suffers  the  loss  of  one  who  had  ever  taken  a 
keen  interest  in  the  country's  progress,  and  who  contributed  to  its  great- 
ness in  no  small  degree.  The  Irish  race  has  lost  the  brightest  star  in 
its  firmament  since  the  days  of  Charles  Stewart  Parnell.  He  was  a  man 
whose  love  for  his  race  was  second  only  to  his  love  for  humanity.  The 
Democratic  party  suffers  the  loss  of  a  wise,  conservative  and  skilful 
mentor  whose  splendid  intellect  has  ever  been  considered  a  tower  of 
strength.  Suffering  humanity  the  world  over  mourns  the  departure  of 
one  whose  heart  ever  bled  for  the  oppressed  and  the  down-trodden  with- 
out regard  to  race,  color  or  creed.  The  entire  city,  perhaps,  will  best 
realize  the  injury  only  after  he  has  been  laid  away  many  years. 

His  love  for  the  city  in  which  he  had  lived  and  labored  was  prover- 
bial. His  hope  for  its  future  greatness  and  his  regard  for  its  good  name 
was  voiced  in  his  every  word  and  act.  No  man  ever  filled  the  Mayor's 
chair  with  loftier  grace  or  left  it  in  higher  esteem.  A  man  among  men 
who  had  ever  the  courage  to  say  no,  and  who  could  neither  be  swayed 
by  the  prospect  of  political  preferment  or  seductive  promise  of  gain. 

Labor  and  the  interests  of  labor  have  lost  an  advocate  whose  conser- 
vatism saved  it  many  trials.  His  family  loses  a  devoted  husband 
and  a  father  whose  presence  was  the  sunshine  of  happiness  and  joy 
supreme. 

Virgil  has  truly  said:  "  Great  men  hallow  a  whole  people  and  lift  up 
all  who  live  in  their  time."  Collins  living  earned  the  right  to  live,  so 
has  he  earned  the  right  to  rest.     May  his  soul  rest  in  eternal  peace. 

Alderman  William  J.  Hennessey  said  : 

Mr.  Chairman,  —  We  are  assembled  here  this  day  to  pay  tribute  to  our 
late  chief  executive,  and  to  express  our  sorrow  at  his  untimely  death. 
We  mourn  the  strong  man,  the  true,  the  patriot,  the  jurist,  the  states- 
man and  our  friend.  Himself  born  among  the  lowly,  he  rose  to  be  one 
of  God's  noblemen. 

His  life's  work  speaks  for  itself.  He  needs  no  monument  of  brass, 
no  column  of  cold  marble  to  perpetuate  his  memory.  His  voice  and 
presence  were  ever  ready  in  the  cause  of  freedom  and  justice.  He 
knew  no  race,  no  color,  no  creed.  The  oppressed  and  down-trodden 
always  had  a  champion  in  Patrick  A.  Collins.  His  words  of  the  late 
John  Boyle  O'Reilly  can  well  be  applied  to  himself  :  "  The  world  was 
his  country,  mankind  his  kin." 


8  MEMORIAL  OF 

Born  an  Irishman,  he  has  always  fought  to  right  the  wrongs  of  his 
suffering  country.  His  life,  labor  and  success  have  been  a  lesson  and 
an  inspiration  to  all  Irish-Americans.  He  was  a  man  whose  godly  life 
is  best  attested  by  the  venerable  Archbishop  Williams.  American 
citizenship  was  never  better  exemplified  than  by  this  modest,  honest, 
able  man. 


Alderman  James  F.  Nolan  said : 

Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen,  —  A  sad  duty  confronts  us  to-day.  It  is 
to  pay  respect  to  the  memory  of  our  late  chief  magistrate,  Patrick  A. 
Collins. 

To  say  his  death  comes  as  a  shock  is  to  put  it  feebly;  but  words  can- 
not convey  my  feelings  on  this  occasion.  Cut  off  in  the  vigor  of  life  as 
he  was,  we  can  but  bow  humbly  to  the  mandate  of  the  Almighty  and 
trust  that  he  will  reward  his  servant  for  his  earthly  stewardship. 

Mayor  Collins  was  a  bright,  brainy,  gifted  man.  Nature  had  endowed 
him  lavishly,  and  he  made  good  use  of  the  talents  which  were  part  of 
his  make-up.  Kind  toward  the  lowly,  magnanimous  toward  his  oppo- 
nents, chivalrous  toward  the  weak,  and  always  in  the  van  in  the  fight 
for  civil  and  religious  liberty,  he  represented,  in  a  manner  perfect,  the 
ideal  American,  as  well  as  exemplifying  to  the  world  a  true  type  of  the 
brilliant  Irishman. 

The  world  is  better  for  his  life,  and  his  memory  will  serve  as  a  guiding 
star  to  the  countless  thousands,  American  and  alien,  who  live  under 
the  Stars  and  Stripes. 


Acting  Chairman  Patrick  Bowen  said  : 

The  Chair  desires  to  express  his  very  deep  sorrow  at  this  Board 
being  called  together  on  this  sad  occasion.  I  recall  the  words  spoken 
on  the  death  of  Henry  W.  Grady,  which  may  well  be  applied  to  our  late 
Mayor  Patrick  A.  Collins : 

"  No  fire  that  can  be  kindled  upon  the  altar  of  speech  can  relume  the 
radiant  spark  that  perished  yesterday.  No  blaze  born  in  all  our  eulogy 
can  burn  beside  the  sunlight  of  his  useful  life.  He  needs  no  statue;  he 
desired  none.  It  was  the  image  of  his  soul  he  wished  to  perpetuate, 
and  he  has  stamped  it  himself  in  letters  of  flame  upon  the  souls  of  his 
countrymen.  Not  all  the  marbles  of  Carrara,  fashioned  by  the  sculp- 
tor's chisel  into  the  mimicry  of  breathing  life,  could  convey  to  the 
senses  a  likeness  so  perfect  of  himself  as  that  which  he  has  left  upon 
the  minds  of  men.  He  has  carved  his  own  statue,  and  built  his  own 
monument. 

"  After  all,  there  is  nothing  grander  than  such  living;  for  the  grandest 
thing,  next  to  the  radiance  which  flows  from  the  Almighty  throne,  is 


PATRICK  A.    COLLINS.  9 

the  light  of  a  noble  and  beautiful  life,  wrapping  itself  in  benediction 
around  the  destinies  of  men  and  finding  its  last  resting  place  in  the 
blessed  bosom  of  the  everlasting  God." 


The  question  came  on  the  adoption  of  the  resolutions  offered 
by  Alderman  Bolton. 

The  resolutions  were  passed  by  a  unanimous  rising  vote. 

Alderman  Edward  J.  Bromberg  offered  the  following : 

Ordered,  That  the  City  Clerk  be  directed  to  transmit  to  the  bereaved 
widow  of  Patrick  A.  Collins,  late  Mayor  of  this  city,  an  engrossed  copy 
of  the  resolutions  adopted  to-day  by  the  City  Council. 

Passed.     Sent  down. 

Alderman  Frank  J.  O'Toole  offered  the  following  : 

Ordered,  That  the  Acting  Mayor  be  requested  to  procure  a  suitable 
floral  tribute,  to  be  sent  on  behalf  of  the  City  of  Boston  to  the  funeral 
of  our  late  Mayor,  Patrick  A.  Collins. 

Passed.     Sent  down. 

Alderman  Edward  L.  Cauley  offered  the  following : 

Ordered,  That  all  municipal  offices  be  closed  on  September  18,  1905, 
the  day  of  the  funeral  of  Hon.  Patrick  A.  Collins. 

Passed.     Sent  down. 

Alderman  James  M.  Curley  offered  the  following : 

Ordered,  That  His  Honor  the  Acting  Mayor  be  requested  to  allow  all 
employees  of  the  city  whose  services  can  be  dispensed  with  a  half  day 
on  the  day  of  the  funeral  of  the  late  Mayor  Collins,  without  loss  of 
pay,  as  part  compensation  for  their  services,  to  enable  them  to  attend 
the  funeral. 

Passed.     Sent  down. 


10  MEMORIAL  OF 

Alderman  Louis  M.  Clark  offered  the  following  : 

Ordered,  That  the  flags  be  displayed  at  half-mast  in  the  squares  and 
public  grounds  of  the  city  on  the  day  of  the  funeral  of  the  late  Patrick 
A.  Collins,  and  that  flags  be  displayed  at  half-mast  on  all  the  city  build- 
ings for  a  period  of  thirty  days. 

Passed.     Sent  down. 


Alderman  John  E.  Baldwin  offered  the  following  : 

Ordered,  That  His  Honor  the  Acting  Mayor  be  requested  to  cause  the 
City  Hall,  Faneuil  Hall  and  the  Old  State  House  to  be  appropriately 
draped  for  a  period  of  thirty  days. 

Passed.     Sent  down. 


Alderman  William  J.  Hennessey  offered  the  following : 

Ordered,  That  a  joint  special  committee,  consisting  of  the  entire 
Board  of  Aldermen  and  such  as  the  Common  Council  may  join,  be 
appointed  to  attend  the  funeral  of  Hon.  Patrick  A.  Collins,  late  Mayor 
of  Boston. 

Passed.     Sent  down. 


Alderman  James  F.  Nolan  offered  the  following : 

Ordered,  That  the  expense  incurred  by  the  Board  of  Police  in  carrying 
out  the  request  of  the  Acting  Mayor  to  cause  bells  to  be  tolled  through- 
out the  city  during  the  hour  set  apart  for  the  funeral  of  the  late  Mayor 
Collins,  and  all  expenses  incurred  in  accordance  with  orders  of  the  City 
Council  passed  to-day,  be  charged  to  the  appropriation  for  City  Council, 
Incidental  Expenses. 

Passed.     Sent  down. 


Alderman  James  M.  Curley. — Mr.  Chairman,  I  move  that 
the  Board,  as  a  further  mark  of  respect,  do  now  adjourn. 
Adjourned  at  12.43  o'clock  P.M. 


PATRICK   A.    COLLINS.  11 


IN    COMMON   COUNCIL. 


The  Common  Council  was  called  to  order,  upon  th*  adjourn- 
ment of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  by  President  Arthur  W.  Dolan, 
a  quorum  being  present. 

The  clerk  read  the  call  for  the  meeting,  and  the  communica- 
tion from  the  Acting  Mayor  in  regard  to  the  death  of  Mayor 
Collins,  and  the  papers  were  severally  placed  on  file. 

The  resolutions  passed  by  the  Board  of  Aldermen  were  read 
by  the  clerk,  and  the  question  came  on  their  passage  in  concur- 
rence. 

President  Arthur  W.  Dolan  said : 

Gentlemen  of  the  Common  Council,  —  For  the  first  time  in  quite  a  few 
years  I  find  myself  confronted  by  a  situation  which  brings  to  me  so 
much  personal  grief  that  I  am  at  a  loss  for  words  to  express  myself. 
My  relations  with  His  Honor  the  Mayor  were  so  intimately  friendly 
that  I  find  it  difficult  to  speak  of  his  death  from  any  standpoint  save 
that  of  one  whom  I  personally  loved  and  respected.  The  fact  that  we 
were  all  totally  unprepared  for  any  such  calamity  only  serves  to  accentu- 
ate the  sorrow  of  those  who,  loving  him,  wished  that  he  might  have 
been  spared  to  them  and  to  the  city  which  he  loved  with  all  the  fond- 
ness of  a  great  heart. 

Landing  on  the  soil  of  this  city  an  immigrant  boy  many  years  ago,  he 
died  her  chief  executive  —  her  first  citizen.  Coming  to  America's  shores 
in  quest  of  the  freedom  and  equality  guaranteed  by  the  American  Consti- 
tution, he  was  honored,  being  worthy  of  honor,  by  city,  state  and 
nation,  a  credit  to  his  race,  a  living  tribute  to  American  institutions, 
a  shining  example  of  the  beneficent  results  of  American  liberty.  An 
orator,  a  fearless  public  servant,  a  magnetic,  charming  personality, 
and,  better  than  all,  a  scrupulously  honest,  upright  citizen,  with  ideals 
of  the  highest  order,  he  died  as  he  lived,  giving  of  his  best  to  the 
country  of  his  adoption,  serving  his  people,  and  bringing  honor  to 
them  and  honor  to  himself. 

Mr.   Sherman  L.  Cook  of  Ward  21  said : 

Mr.  President,  —  On  this  occasion  it  seems  meet  that  at  least  one 
member  of  the  party  to  which  His  Honor  the  late  Mayor  did  not  belong 


12  MEMOKIAL   OF 

should  voice  briefly  the  regret  which  every  member  of  the  City  Coun- 
cil must  feel  at  his  untimely  taking  away.  We  feel  that  when  a  soldier 
is  cut  down  in  battle  he  has  died  appropriately;  we  feel  that  when  the 
pilot  of  a  ship  has  gone  down  at  the  helm  his  death  is  a  fitting  one ; 
and  when  a  man  has  been  for  years  an  honest  and  disinterested  pub- 
lic servant  there  can  be  no  better  time  to  meet  his  end  than  while 
in  a  position  which  has  honored  him  as  he  has  honored  it.  I  should 
like  to  place  on  the  records  my  sincere  appreciation,  not  only  of  his 
character,  but  of  the  uniform  courtesy  which  I,  as  well  as  the  other 
members  of  the  City  Government,  who  have  approached  him  in  good 
faith  upon  matters  concerning  the-  City  of  Boston  have  received  from 
him.  A  gentleman,  self-made,  of  broad  sympathies,  thorough  cultivation 
and  rugged  honesty,  it  will  be  many  years  before  his  influence  upon 
this  city  is  forgotten;  and  it  is  with  sincere  and  personal  grief  that 
I  add  this  slight  tribute  to  the  fame  of  the  great  jurist,  orator,  states- 
man and  American  —  Patrick  A.  Collins. 

"  His  life  was  gentle,  and  the  elements 

So  mix'd  in  him,  that  Nature  might  stand  up 
And  say  to  all  the  world,  '  This  was  a  maD ! '  " 


Mr.  William  F.  Murray,  Jr.,  of  Ward  5  said: 

Mr.  President,  —  Everything  that  has  been  said  by  the  eloquent  gentle- 
men who  have  preceded  me  meets  with  my  heartfelt  approval.  I  know 
of  nothing  to  add,  except  to  say  that  in  the  death  of  Patrick  A.  Collins 
we  have  lost  a  great  American  and  the  greatest  Irishman  in  this 
country.  These  terms,  Mr.  President,  are  not  the  terms  of  the  flatterer 
nor  of  the  eulogist.  As  I  use  them,  my  mind  wanders  back  to  a 
summer  night  when  the  winds  were  still  and  the  stars  of  the  southern 
sky  looked  down  upon  the  white  city  in  which  soldiers  slept.  I  see 
myself  in  the  presence  of  the  chief  of  that  city,  and  I  hear  him  ask  me: 
"Do  you  know  Patrick  A.  Collins  of  Boston?  "  I  answer,  proudly  and 
quickly,  that  I  do  know  Patrick  A.  Collins  —  for,  gentlemen  of  the 
Council,  I  do  not  remember  the  time  when  I  did  not  personally  know 
the  late  lamented  Mayor.  I  see  that  General  of  the  United  States  Army 
rise  to  his  full  height  and  say:  "Young  man,  you  know  a  great 
American,  and  the  greatest  Irishman  in  the  world."  That  was  the 
estimate,  Mr.  President,  of  John  J.  Coppinger,  himself  a  son  of  Erin's 
Isle,  who  had,  by  deeds  of  devotion  and  duty,  risen  to  be  a  Major- 
General  in  the  United  States  Army.  It  was  his  estimate  of  Patrick  A. 
Collins,  in  August,  1898  ;  and  I  believe,  Mr.  President,  that  it  will  be 
the  estimate  of  those  who  will  write  the  history  of  the  present  time. 
Anything  that  might  be  said  in  eulogy  of  Patrick  A.  Collins  would,  to 
my  mind,  be  superfluous.  I  feel  my  inability  to  express  the  sentiments 
that  are  in  your  hearts  and  in  my  heart;  but  at  this  time  let  us  pledge 


PATKICK  A.    COLLINS.  13 

anew  our  devotion  to  the  ideals  that  Patrick  A.  Collins  portrayed  on 
inauguration  day,  and  let  us  pledge  our  loyalty  to  the  man  who  must 
be  mayor  because  of  the  hand  of  fate, 


Mr.  Daniel  L.  Sullivan  of  Ward  9  said : 

Mr.  President,  —  I  arise  at  this  time  to  pay  tribute  to  one  of  the 
greatest  men  whom  Boston  has  ever  had,  the  late  Patrick  A.  Collins. 
He  was  a  man  of  strong  character  and  lofty  ideals.  He  was  able, 
honest  and  fearless.  During  all  the  years  of  his  public  life  no  one  ever 
questioned  his  integrity.  He  executed  the  duties  of  his  office  with 
grace  and  dignity,  and  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  all  classes  and  parties. 
The  people  of  Boston  feel  a  profound  sorrow  in  learning  of  his  demise. 
By  his  death  the  city  has  lost  an  able  chief  executive,  and  the  state  and 
nation  a  loyal  and  patriotic  citizen. 


Me.  Thomas  F.  Fitzgerald  of  Ward  3  said : 

Mr.  President,  —  We  are  assembled,  in  the  words  of  the  call,  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  appropriate  action  on  the  death  of  Mayor  P.  A.  Collins, 
and  expressing  the  sorrow  felt  by  the  citizens  of  Boston  at  the  loss 
sustained  through  his  death.  Appropriate  action  has  been  taken  by 
the  passage  of  these  resolutions.  Such  action  would  be  taken  in  any 
like  circumstance;  but  in  expressing  our  sorrow  at  the  loss  of  Mayor 
Collins  there  can  be  nothing  perfunctory  in  the  proceeding.  The  diffi- 
culty arises  in  finding  words  to  adequately  express  the  sorrow  which 
the  citizens  feel  at  his  great  loss. 

We  realize  the  great  service  he  has  done  the  city  during  his  term  as 
Mayor.  We  appreciate  the  tremendous  power  for  good  to  city,  state 
and  nation  he  has  been  during  his  two  score  years  and  more  of  public 
life.  We  are  conscious  of  the  fact  that  he  was  one  of  humanity's  great 
champions,  whose  great  services  were  ever  at  the  call  of  the  oppressed ; 
but  we  realize  and  appreciate  above  all  his  noble  and  exalted  character, 
his  high  conception  of  the  duties  of  public  office,  his  rugged  honesty 
and  integrity. 

These  resolutions  must  of  necessity  be  inadequate  to  express  the  great 
sorrow  which  the  citizens  of  Boston  feel  at  their  great  loss. 

In  our  great  sorrow  we  can  find  some  consolation  in  the  thought  that 
his  success  in  life,  especially  in  public  life,  will  ever  be  an  inspiration 
to  those  who  seek  public  office  to  follow  the  paths  of  rectitude  and 
honesty;  and  we  may  find  even  a  greater  consolation  in  the  thought 
that  his  whole  life  must  be  an  inspiration  to  every  boy  who  starts  in 
life  with  nothing  but  a  healthy  body,  high  ideals  and  lofty  ambitions. 
It  was  not  my  pleasure  or  honor,  as  it  has  been  that  of  our  President, 
to  be  closely   or  intimately  connected  with  the  Mayor.      My  duties 


14  MEMOEIAL  OF 

necessitated  my  calling  on  him  on  but  two  occasions,  and  then  with 
others;  so  that  I  did  not  enjoy  that  close  personal  friendship  which 
reveals  a  man's  true  character.  So  my  position  is  much  that  of  a  great 
majority  of  the  citizens  of  this  city,  who  viewed  him  from  a  distance. 
Though  my  relations  with  him  might  have  been  more  intimate,  I  feel 
my  inability  to  express  my  appreciation  of  his  high  worth  and  to 
express  adequately  the  sorrow  which  I,  with  all  citizens  of  Boston,  feel 
at  this  great  calamity. 


Me.  Charles  W.  M.  Williams  of  Ward  10  said  : 

Mr.  President  and  Fellow-members  of  the  Common  Council,  —  It  does  me 
honor,  and  I  honor  my  constituency,  when  I  reverently  approach  the 
bier  and  place  upon  it  an  humble  wreath.  We  mingle  our  tears  with  the 
cataclysm  of  tears  of  the  City  of  Boston  at  this  our  common  meeting 
ground,  honoring  the  memory  of  the  man  who  has  honored  the  City  of 
Boston  by  his  noble  service,  by  his  pure  life,  by  the  exemplification  of 
the  latent  possibilities  embodied  in  American  citizenship;  and  I  deem 
it,  Mr.  President,  an  honor  to  give  this  humble  tribute  to  our  late  Mayor, 
who  has  crossed  the  bar. 


The  resolutions  were  passed  in  concurrence  by  a  unanimous 
rising  vote. 

The  following  papers  were  received  from  the  Board  of  Alder- 
men : 

Ordered,  That  the  City  Clerk  be  directed  to  transmit  to  the  bereaved 
widow  of  Patrick  A.  Collins,  late  Mayor  of  this  city,  an  engrossed  copy 
of  the  resolutions  adopted  to-day  by  the  City  Council. 

Passed  in  concurrence. 


Ordered,  That  the  Acting  Mayor  be  requested  to  procure  a  suitable 
floral  tribute,  to  be  sent  on  behalf  of  the  City  of  Boston  to  the  funeral 
of  our  late  Mayor,  Patrick  A.  Collins. 

Passed  in  concurrence. 


Ordered,  That  all  municipal  offices  be  closed  on  September  18,  1905, 
the  day  of  the  funeral  of  Hon.  Patrick  A.  Collins. 

Passed  in  concurrence. 


PATRICK  A.    COLLINS.  15 

Ordered,  That  His  Honor  the  Acting  Mayor  be  requested  to  allow  all 
employees  of  the  city,  whose  services  can  be  dispensed  with,  a  half  day, 
on  the  day  of  the  funeral  of  the  late  Mayor  Collins,  without  loss  of  pay, 
as  part  compensation  for  their  services,  to  enable  them  to  attend  the 
funeral. 

Passed  in  concurrence. 

Ordered,  That  the  flags  be  displayed  at  half-mast  in  the  squares  and 
public  grounds  of  the  city  on  the  day  of  the  funeral  of  the  late  Patrick 
A.  Collins,  and  that  flags  be  displayed  at  half-mast  on  all  the  city  build- 
ings for  a  period  of  thirty  days. 

Passed  in  concurrence. 

Ordered,  That  His  Honor  the  Acting  Mayor  be  requested  to  cause  the 
City  Hall,  Faneuil  Hall  and  the  Old  State  House  to  be  appropriately 
draped  for  a  period  of  thirty  days. 

Passed  in  concurrence. 

Ordered,  That  a  joint  special  committee,  consisting  of  the  entire 
Board  of  Aldermen  and  such  as  the  Common  Council  may  join,  be  ap- 
pointed to  attend  the  funeral  of  Hon.  Patrick  A.  Collins,  late  Mayor  of 
Boston. 

Passed  in  concurrence. 

In  connection  with  the  above  order  Mr.  Thomas  F.  Fitzgerald 
of  Ward  3  offered  the  following  : 

Ordered,  That  the  committee  on  the  part  of  the  Common  Council  to 
attend  the  funeral  of  Mayor  Collins  consists  of  the  whole  body. 

Passed. 

Ordered,  That  the  expense  incurred  by  the  Board  of  Police  in  carrying 
out  the  request  of  the  Acting  Mayor  to  cause  bells  to  be  tolled  through- 
out the  city  during  the  hour  set  apart  for  the  funeral  of  the  late  Mayor 
Collins,  and  all  expenses  incurred  in  accordance  with  orders  of  the  City 
Council  passed  to-day,  be  charged  to  the  appropriation  for  City  Council, 
Incidental  Expenses. 

Passed  in  concurrence. 


16  MEMORIAL   OF   PATRICK  A.    COLLINS. 

Mr.  Tilton  S.  Bell  of  Ward  20.  — Mr.  President,  as  a  mark 
of  further  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  deceased  Mayor  I  move 
that  we  do  now  adjourn. 

Adjourned  at  1.15  P.M. 


At  subsequent  meetings  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  and  Com- 
mon Council  the  following  order  was  adopted  : 

Ordered,  That  a  joint  committee  to  consist  of  three  members  of  the 
Board  of  Aldermen,  with  such  as  the  Common  Council  may  join,  be  ap- 
pointed to  arrange  for  memorial  exercises  in  commemoration  of  the  life 
and  public  services  of  the  late  Hon.  Patrick  A.  Collins,  before  tbe  City 
Government  and  the  citizens  of  Boston  ;  the  expense  attending  the 
same  to  be  charged  to  the  appropriation  for  City  Council,  Incidental 
Expenses. 

In  pursuance  of  the  above  order,  the  following  committee  was 
appointed  by  the  presiding  officers  of  the  two  branches  of  the 
City  Council,  viz.  : 

Aldermen.  —  John  E.  Baldwin,  Chairman;  William  J. 
Hennessey,  Fred  E.  Bolton. 

Councilmen.  —  Arthur  W.  Dolan,  William  A.  H.  Crowley, 
William  J.  Barrett,  Gideon  B.  Abbott,  William  F.  Howes. 


MEMORIAL  EXERCISES 


MEMORIAL   EXERCISES. 


The  Memorial  Exercises,  as  arranged  by  the  committee, 
were  held  in  Tremont  Temple,  on  the  evening  of  Wednesday, 
December  20,  1905,  before  a  large  and  distinguished  gather- 
ing of  the  City  Government  and  citizens,  including  ex-mayors 
of  the  city,  representatives  of  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment, the  State  Government,  the  Judiciary,  the  Massachu- 
setts Bar  Association,  and  various  social  and  political 
organizations. 

After  an  organ  prelude,  "  Homage  March,"  by  Wagner, 
rendered  by  Mr.  John  A.  O'Shea ;  the  Apollo  Club,  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  Emil  Mollenhauer,  sang  "  Integer  Vitse,"  by 
Fleming,  words  by  Charles  James   Sprague,  as  follows : 

Lord,  now  the  hero's  mortal  wars  are  ended, 
Where,  in  the  conflict,  'twas  Thy  power  defended, 
Thy  shield  that  guarded  and  Thy  hand  rewarded. 
Conqu'ror,  his  cause  was  Thine. 

Man  judges  man,  the  crown  or  chain  disposing, 
Groping  in  earthly  shadows  round  him  closing. 
Lofty  endeavor,  truth  to  cull  from  error ; 
But  judgment,  Lord,  is  Thine. 

Oh,  may  his  spirit,  now  Thy  peace  possessing, 
Dwell  in  the  joy  of  Thy  eternal  blessing 
In  Heaven,  all  glorious  ;  crowned  by  Thee  victorious, 
Safe  in  Thy  love  divine  ! 


20  MEMORIAL  OF 

PRAYER. 

Prayer  was  then  offered  by  the  Rev.  Peter  Ronan,  as  follows  : 

With  the  remembrance,  0  Lord,  of  the  blessings 
vouchsafed  to  our  beloved  city  through  its  late 
lamented  Chief  Magistrate,  we  come  into  Thy  presence 
on  this  solemn  occasion,  and  with  grateful  hearts 
we  thank  Thee  for  blessings  received.  In  Thy 
infinite  wisdom  Thou  hast  taken  from  the  walks  of 
life  a  faithful  public  servant,  and  Thou  hast  called 
him  to  the  reward  of  his  stewardship  in  Thy  vine- 
yard. While  deeply  lamenting  our  great  loss,  we 
bow  our  heads  in  humble  submission  to  Thy  divine 
will. 

Diffuse,  0  Lord,  throughout  this  community  a 
knowledge  of  the  virtues  of  Thy  public  servant  —  his 
sterling  honesty,  his  unsullied  integrity,  his  patriotic 
devotion,  and  his  generous  love  for  his  adopted 
country. 

Thou,  0  God,  who  art  the  King  of  kings  and  the 
Lord  of  lords,  and  the  final  Judge  of  the  rulers  of 
this  world,  impress,  we  beseech  Thee,  upon  the  hearts 
of  Thy  public  servants  the  supreme  importance  of  a 
loyal  and  faithful  compliance  with  duty,  to  the  end 
that  they  may  be  true  to  Thee,  true  to  the  voice  of 
conscience,  and  true  to  the  sacred  trusts  confided  to 
their  keeping. 


PATRICK  A.   COLLINS.  21 

Bless,  0  Lord,  our  beloved  city  and  all  who  dwell 
therein.  Raise  up  worthy  rulers  who  shall  wisely 
guide  her  great  destiny,  as  did  Thy  faithful  public 
servant  whose  memory  we  honor  this  evening. 

Protect,  we  beseech  Thee,  0  Lord,  our  thoughts 
and  our  words  on  this  important  occasion,  so  that 
they  may  tend  to  Thy  greater  glory  and  honor,  and 
to  the  permanent  good  of  Thy  people.  Grant  unto 
us,  0  Lord,  these  our  humble  petitions,  through 
Christ    our    Redeemer.      Amen. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  prayer  the  Chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee, Alderman  John  E.  Baldwin,  introduced  the  presiding 
officer,  Hon.  Daniel  A.  Whelton,  the  Acting  Mayor. 


ADDRESS 


OF 


Acting  Mayor  DANIEL  A.  WHELTON. 


Ladies  and  Gentlemen : 

We  are  assembled  to-night  to  honor  the  memory 
of  a  man  who  won  his  place  in  the  community  by 
ability,  integrity  and  the  highest  character.  The 
city  which  he  served  with  distinction  and  with  sub- 
lime fidelity  pays  its  formal  tribute  to  his  worth 
through  the  agency  of  the  legislative  branch  of  the 
government.  The  distinguished  gentlemen  who  will 
address  you  represent  the  great  composite  citizenship 
of  this  metropolis,  and  they  will  express  in  ornate 
phrase  the  sentiments  of  the  community.  To  me  is 
allotted  the  honorable  but  sad  duty  of  directing  the 
proceedings  which  will  be  written  upon  the  city's 
records  and  handed  down  to  posterity. 

It  was  my  privilege  to  serve  for  two  years  as  a 
member  of  the  government  of  which,  for  nearly  four 
years,  Mr.  Collins  was  the  executive  head,  and  I  can 
testify  to  his  singleness  of  purpose  in  the  discharge 
of  the  high  and  difficult  duties  which  incumbency  of 


MEMORIAL   OF  PATRICK   A.    COLLINS.  23 

that  great  office  imposes.  His  death,  which  was  a 
distinct  and  irreparable  loss  to  the  city,  imposed 
those  duties  upon  me.  In  discharging  them  I  have 
always  held  before  me  the  lofty  example  of  his  life 
and  the  inspirations  of  his  noble  qnalities  as  a  man 
and  a  public  official. 

Every  young  man  who  is  striving  to  rise  above 
harsh  and  unfavorable  circumstances  and  to  win  a 
place  among  those  who  deserve  well  of  their  fellows 
because  of  public  service  honestly  performed,  may 
take  courage  as  he  reads  the  story  of  Patrick  A. 
Collins'  life,  of  his  struggles  against  adverse  condi- 
tions, and  of  his  self-elevation  to  a  foremost  place 
among  the  men  of  his  generation  who  have  guided 
the  republic  upon  a  safe  course. 

The  city  honors  herself  in  honoring  him,  and  I 
count  it  a  high,  if  sombre  and  sorrowful,  privilege  to 
be  associated  with  this  expression  of  an  official 
tribute  to  his  character  and  achievements. 

Following  the  address  of  the  Acting  Mayor,  the  following 
poem  was  read  by  the  author,  Michael  J.  Dwyer,  Esq.  : 


POEM 


MICHAEL  J.   DWYER,   ESQ. 


$n  gtaor mm. 

Justly  waft  we  o'er  his  tomb  the  incense  of  our  praise, 

Uplifting  his  long  cherished  name  on  Love's  wings  to  the  skies  ; 

Justly  we  from  grieving  hearts  our  strains  of  sorrow  raise, 
For  all  the  world  is  poorer  when  a  great  and  good  man  dies. 

Yet  comes  not  always  Death  to  men  in  cold  and  cruel  guise 
Of  fell  Oblivion's  endless  pall.     Betimes  its  dreaded  knell 

Strikes  but  the  timely  hour  of  God,  that  gilds  and  glorifies 
With  surer  reverence  and  fame  life's  deeds  accomplished  well. 

Whom  here  we  mourn  with  solemn  dirge  and  eulogy  sublime 
The  kindlier  Voice  of  Destiny  but  called,  with  wiser  ken, 

To  prouder  homage  and  renown  upon  the  scroll  of  Time, 
To  more  enduring  life  and  love  in  inmost  hearts  of  men. 

Rich  were  all  his  days  in  deeds  and  aims  of  high  emprise, 
Of  all  of  Life  by  instinct  true  he  chose  the  better  part ; 

Nor  thought,  nor  word,  nor  daily  act,  but  proved  in  all  men's  eyes 
The  innermost  aspirings  of  a  Truth-inspired  heart. 

True  son  of  Nature,  rich  endowed  with  rarest  gift  and  charm 
Of    Mother    Nature's    largess,  —  ample   mind   and   sparkling 
grace 


MEMORIAL   OF   PATRICK  A.    COLLINS.  25 

Of  thought  and  speech,  —  his  heart  aglow,  his  spirit  kind  and 
warm,  — 
Proclaimed  the  shining  heritage  and  genius  of  his  race. 

Amid  these  scenes  through  toil  and  stress  of  weary,   fameless 
years 
He  labored  upward  and  alone  to  high  predestined  goal ; 
In  struggle  patient,  bold  and  strong,  and  void  of  weakling  fears, 
Self-poised   in   conscious  knowledge  of   the  power  within  his 
soul. 

'Tis  said  our  age  is  sordid ;  men  are  base  and  Gold  is  God ; 

That  venal  spirits  rule  where  worth  and  merit  should  abide ; 
But  he  was  one  by  conscience  swayed,  whose  feet  in  honor  trod 

The  devious  ways  of  office,  stern  Integrity  his  guide. 

His  soul  aflame  with  impulse  caught  from  Honor's  sacred  fire, 
He  sought  the  heights  of  truest  worth  and  usefulness  to  scan. 

Embracing  as  his  own  life's  noblest  objects  of  desire 

He  made,  and  loved,  and  lived  his  law:   "In  all  an  upright 
man  !  " 

His    too    the    patriot's    dauntless    heart,    unchained,    unawed, 
unbought ! 
The  pulse  to  feel,  the  will  to  claim,  the  tongue  to  champion 
Right ! 
To  lift  oppression  from  mankind  his  lifelong  dearest  thought, 
That  all  men  might  be  freemen  in  God's  liberty  and  light ! 

Still  is  now  the  faithful  heart  that  throbbed  for  Truth  and  Right, 
And  mute  the  voice  that  spake  with  fire  in  every  noble  cause ; 

Prone  the  form  that  stood  a  giant  power  in  all  men's  sight 
For  Freedom,  Justice,  Honesty,  Humanity's  great  laws  ! 

Yet  shall  he  live  in  all  he  wrought,  by  precept  speaking  still ; 

And  long  as  noble  deeds  our  souls  with  love  and  pride  imbue, 
His  name  beloved  shall  fill  our  hearts  with  fond,  inspiring  thrill 

To  live  like  him  for  grander  ends,  brave,  loyal,  just  and  true. 


26  MEMORIAL   OF   PATRICK  A.    COLLINS. 

O  noble  life  !    whose  sorrowed  end  but  brings  to  clearer  view 
A  city's  loss,  a  race's  grief,  a  people's  love  sincere  ! 

Auspicious  death  !    which  in  our  souls  but  shrines  that  life  anew, 
A  life  to  love  and  follow,  a  rare  memory  to  revere. 

After  the  reading  of  the  poem,  the  gentlemen  who  were  to 
deliver  addresses  were  severally  introduced  by  Acting  Mayor 
Whelton.     The  addresses  follow  : 


ADDRESS 


BY 


HON.  THOMAS  J.  GARGAN 


Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Ge?itlemen: 

It  is  peculiarly  fitting  and  appropriate  that  this 
memorial  meeting  to  honor  the  late  Mayor  Collins 
should  be  held  in  Tremont  Temple,  for  it  was  in  this 
place  and  upon  this  platform  that,  on  a  memorable 
occasion,  he  declared  that  he  was  "no  man's  man 
and  wore  no  man's  collar,"  and  that  was  the  key- 
note of  his  whole  character. 

As  I  look  about  me  in  this  gathering  and  see  so 
many  of  his  friends,  it  is  difficult  for  me  to  realize 
that  he  will  not  step  forward  and  thrill  us  as  of 
yore.  Yet,  we  feel  that,  if  he  is  not  visibly  present, 
his  spirit   hovers  over  us. 

The  presence  here  of  this  large  assemblage  proves 
the  strength  of  your  love  and  devotion  to  the  mem- 
ory of  Patrick  A.  Collins.  You  all  respected  and 
loved  him.  We  feel  that  a  tower  has  fallen,  a  star 
has  set.    While  we  mourn  for  him  here,  in  thousands 


28  MEMOEIAL   OF 

of  homes  in  this  land  and  in  cabins  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Atlantic  sympathetic  hearts  are  mourning  with 
us  to-night.  I  loved  him  as  a  dear  friend,  a  com- 
panion and  associate  for  almost  forty  years.  How 
can  I  hope  to  find  words  to  utter  what  our  hearts 
feel? 

I  desire  to  speak  to  you  of  him  as  he  would  wish 
me  were  he  living  and  present.  I  know  he  would 
say,  "  Speak  of  me  as  you  know  me ;  '  nothing 
extenuate,  nor  set  down  aught  in  malice.' "  I  do 
not  claim  that  he  was  perfect,  nor  shall  I  dwell  upon 
his  imperfections ;  he  was  "  Bound  in  the  bonds 
which  all  men  share."  Yet  view  him  as  we  may, 
the  lion's  mark  was  always  there.  We  loved  him 
because  he  was  a  great,  human,  lovable  man,  yet 
what  we  say  here  to-day  cannot  avail  the  dead. 

We  have  sung  his  requiem;  in  the  bright  sunlight 
of  an  autumn  day  we  committed  his  body  to  mother 
earth,  and  to  many  of  us  the  world  seems  lonesome 
since.  These  tributes  which  we  offer  are  not  for  the 
dead,  but  for  the  living.  These  expressions  and 
memorial  exercises  elevate  those  from  whom  they 
emanate  j  they  cause  us  to  pause  in  our  struggle  for 
wealth  and  honors,  and  lift  us  to  a  higher  world  of 
thought.  If  the  surroundings  here,  these  exercises, 
the  strains  of  music,  the  communion  of  thought 
between  those  who  knew  the  usefulness  and  nobility 
of  our  friend's  life,  shall  plant  the  seed  of  an 
emotion    that    will    fructify    and    ripen    into    nobler 


PATRICK  A.    COLLINS.  29 

actions,  we  may  congratulate  ourselves  upon  a  well- 
spent  day. 

What  an  inspiration  and  example  for  us  all  in  the 
life  of  this  poor  Irish  immigrant  boy,  who  began  his 
career  so  humbly  in  this  city  without  friends,  without 
fortune,  yet  by  his  perseverance,  his  magnetism,  his 
tact,  and  his  indomitable  industry,  became  chief 
magistrate  of  this  great  city !  It  seems  like  a  tale 
from  the  Arabian  Nights,  as  if  the  magician  came 
with  his  lamp  and  ring  and  did  it  all ;  yet  we  know 
the  magician  was  none  other  than  Patrick  A.  Collins 
himself,  and  his  talisman,  like  that  of  every  other 
man  that  has  achieved  anything  in  life,  was  hard, 
persistent  work  and  industry. 

I  first  met  him  in  the  enchanting  garden  of  youth, 
and  it  was  there  he  introduced  me  to  his  youthful 
friend,  John  Boyle  O'Reilly.  As  we  left  its  portals 
with  high  ideals,  we  hoped  to  conquer  success,  and  to 
make  the  wide  world,  whose  roadway  we  entered, 
a  little  better.  We  found  the  way  often  rough  and 
stony,  we  did  not  escape  some  mire,  and  were  often 
wearied  in  spirit  and  body.  His  cheery  voice  and 
companionship  were  always  encouraging,  and  he  never 
lost  faith.  How  well  he  succeeded,  the  future  historian 
of  Boston  will  tell. 

We  are  perhaps  too  near  him  to  fully  appreciate 
him  or  to  measure  him  justly.  In  early  life  we 
entered  the  Legislature  together.  I  remember  that, 
during   the    session,    a    small   type    member    of    the 


30  MEMORIAL   OF 

House,  and  of  our  party,  made  a  trade  on  some  mat- 
ter and  pledged  the  Democratic  vote.  It  was  to  my 
mind  a  corrupt  measure.  I  invited  Collins  to  lunch- 
eon. When  he  came  into  the  room  he  said,  "I  know 
what  you  want;  you  and  I  cannot  be  traded  like 
sheep  at  the  shambles  by  such  a  trickster."  This 
incident  gave  me  the  first  insight  into  his  character. 
He  hated  shams  and  was  incorruptibly  honest,  and  I 
felt  sure  that  the  gilded  hand  of  corruption  would 
never  dare  to  offer  him  a  friendly  grasp.  I  was  in 
Washington  when  he  was  a  member  of  Congress, 
and  knew  him  to  refuse  a  fee  of  ten  thousand  dollars 
as  counsel  in  a  certain  case,  at  a  time  when  that 
amount  of  money  was  to  him  a  small  fortune. 
Many  members  of  the  bar  at  that  day,  and  to-day, 
would  have  thought  it  not  improper  to  accept  that 
fee,  but  he  had  a  high  standard  of  ethics.  He 
believed  his  first  duty  was  to  his  country  and  his 
constituents.  His  oath  of  office  was  to  him  no  idle 
or  unmeaning  ceremony,  and  he  had  that  high  sense 
of  honor  tliat  feels  a  stain  like  a  wound. 

He  might  have  died  rich  if  he  had  not  refused  to 
sully  his  honor,  but  he  always  kept  his  vizor  up, 
and  men  who  looked  at  him  felt  that  there  was 
something  in  his  air  and  manner  which  said,  ll  Get 
thee  behind  me,  Satan  !  " 

As  I  sat  in  his  office  in  St.  Helen's  Place,  in  London, 
one  day,  while  he  was  Consul-General,  I  could  not  help 
recalling  Hawthorne's  story  of  his  consular  experience. 


PATKICK   A.    COLLINS.  31 

Numberless  were  the  calls  made  upon  Collins,  not 
only  by  Americans,  but  by  all  nationalities.  He  lis- 
tened to  their  tales  of  woe  with  patience  and  sym- 
pathy. All  went  away  comforted,  and  many  received 
substantial  aid  from  the  private  purse  of  this  great- 
hearted man. 

As  Mayor  of  Boston,  his  record  is  known  to  you 
all.  On  public  occasions,  he  represented  the  city 
with  honor  and  dignity.  He  was  accessible  to  the 
humblest  citizen,  ready  to  listen  to  advice,  yet  always 
acting  on  his  own  judgment.  He  could  say  "No" 
with  great  firmness  when  necessary,  and  every  tax- 
payer paying  a  dollar  into  the  city  treasury  knew 
that  he  would  guard  its  expenditure  as  strictly  and 
economically  as  any  trustee  or  guardian  of  private 
funds.  His  messages  and  vetoes  were  models  in  their 
terseness  and  precision.  He  was  strong  to  do  the 
right  thing  because  it  was  the  right  thing.  He  did 
his  duty  fearlessly,  never  stopping  to  count  personal 
consequences.  Through  all  his  life  he  believed  with 
Plato  that  "Justice  was  the  health  of  the  State." 

To  briefly  sum  up  his  life  and  character :  While  he 
was  thoroughly  American,  he  passionately  loved  the 
land  of  his  birth ;  he  contributed  liberally  from  his 
means  and  gave  to  her  cause  all  his  splendid  abili- 
ties ;  as  he  said  on  one  occasion,  "  I  love  Ireland 
as  I  love  my  mother,  and  I  love  America  as  I  do 
my  wife."  He  was  faithful  to  duty,  incorruptibly 
honest,  possessed  magnetism,  tact  and  breadth  of  view, 


32  MEMORIAL   OF 

and  he  placed  a  higher  value  upon  character  than 
upon  success. 

He  was  a  conscientious  lawyer,  a  careful  legislator, 
an  efficient  Consul-General,  and  an  able  Mayor.  As 
an  orator,  he  had  the  essential  requisites :  a  good 
voice,  a  noble  presence,  that  indefinable  temperament 
of  the  Celt  that  moves  and  convinces,  force  of  char- 
acter, the  humor  and  pathos  that  called  forth  smiles 
or  tears  as  he  willed ;  he  could  wreathe  the  iron  bar 
of  logic  with  the  flowers  of  rhetoric  and  carry  con- 
viction to  the  minds  of  his  hearers  because  they 
believed  there  was  an  earnest  man  behind  all  his 
words. 

While  many  men  who  pose  as  statesmen  believe 
their  party  to  be  mankind,  Collins  had  the  faculty 
of  lifting  himself  to  a  higher  altitude,  obtaining  a 
clearer  view  and  a  broader  horizon,  and  in  that 
horizon  he  embraced  humanity. 

He  believed  with  the  poet,  that  — 


"  Where'er  a  single  slave  doth  pine, 
Where'er  one  man  may  help  another,  - — 
Thank  God  for  such  a  birthright,  brother, 
That  spot  of  earth  is  thine  and  mine  : 
There  is  the  true  man's  birthplace  grand, 
His  is  a  world-wide  fatherland  !" 


His  early  beginning  was  much  like  that  of  Lincoln, 
and  as  Lincoln's  great  speech  at  Gettysburg,  of  twenty 
lines,  has  become  a  classic    and  will   live,  so  Collins' 


PATKICK  A.    COLLINS.  33 

short  eulogy  of  O'Reilly  will  be  the  gem  that  will  long 
survive  his  other  utterances. 

Yet  those  who  knew  him  in  public  life  only  did  not 
know  him  at  his  best.  It  was  at  the  table,  surrounded 
by  six  or  seven  intellectual  men,  that  he  appeared  to  the 
best  advantage,  in  the  freedom  of  unrestrained  inter- 
course that  you  began  to  know  and  appreciate  him. 
His  education  was  not  of  the  kind  that  knows  a  little 
Latin  and  less  Greek,  soon  forgotten  in  the  tumult  of 
busy  life.  His  wide  range  of  reading,  particularly  of 
history  and  biography,  his  knowledge  of  public  men 
and  public  affairs,  surprised  you.  Across  the  table? 
where  every  man  could  give  and  take,  he  received  a 
sharp  thrust  without  rancor  and  with  rare  good 
humor. 

Alas,  —  he  has  passed  from  our  mortal  ken  !  Fare- 
well, dear  friend,  never  again  shall  we  see  your  stalwart 
form  walking  the  streets  of  this  city  which  you  loved 
so  well !  Never  again  shall  we  hear  thy  cheery  voice, 
or  feel  the  warm  grasp  of  thy  friendly  hand ! 

You  have  passed  into  the  dim  valley  and  shadow  of 
death,  but  oh !  how  many  fragrant  and  precious  mem- 
ories you  have  bequeathed  to  us  !  Such  men  never 
wholly  die,  for  "The  memorial  of  virtue  is  immortal," 
because  "It  is  known  with  God  and  with  men.  When 
it  is  present,  men  take  example  at  it ;  when  it  is  gone, 
they  desire  it ;  it  weareth  a  crown  and  triumpheth  for- 
ever, having  gotten  the  victory  striving  for  undefined 
rewards." 


34  MEMORIAL   OF   PATRICK  A.    COLLINS. 

The  people  of  this  city,  who  loved  him  so  well, 
propose  to  erect  in  some  public  place  a  memorial 
more  lasting  than  our  perishable  words.  There  it  will 
stand  to  remind  us  of  the  story  and  fidelity  to  duty 
of  this  poor  Irish  immigrant  boy. 

Let  those  who  are  inclined  to  despair  of  government 
by  the  people  not  lose  hope  when  they  reflect  that 
into  this  great  crucible  of  our  democracy  are  poured 
so  many  elements,  and  when  we  separate  the  dross 
and  alloy,  we  produce  such  refined  metal  and  such  a 
type  of  manhood  as  this  monument  will  commemo- 
rate. The  coming  generations,  as  they  look  upon  it, 
will  receive  new  inspiration,  and  they  will  realize 
that  not  the  acquisition  of  money,  but  the  path  of 
duty,  is  the  way  to  honor  and  glory. 

Build  it  then  of  granite  and  of  bronze ;  it  cannot 
be  more  enduring  than  his  virtues.  Let  the  genius 
of  the  sculptor  give  it  form  and  beauty ;  it  cannot  be 
more  beautiful  or  nobler  than  his  character. 

Yet  even  this  monument  may  moulder  and  crumble 
into  dust,  but  so  long  as  we  shall  maintain  the  insti- 
tutions and  government  which  made  his  career  pos- 
sible, and  so  long  as  we  shall  maintain  the  character 
of  our  civic  government  upon  the  high  standard 
which  he  set,  we  secure  and  perpetuate  the  fame  of 
Patrick  A.  Collins. 


ADDRESS 


RABBI    CHARLES    FLEISCHER. 


Mr,  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen : 

How  I  envied  Mr.  Gargan  the  privilege  of  life-long 
acquaintance  with  so  worthy  a  man,  and  how  I  en- 
vied him  besides  that  diamond-tipped  tongue  which 
could  give  such  brilliant  utterance  to  the  impres- 
sions of  a  lifetime.  And  yet,  as  I  listened  and  com- 
pared these  generation-old  impressions  of  Mr.  Gargan 
with  my  comparatively  brief  ones  of  the  same  man, 
I  could  not  help  but  realize  that  the  arc  of  a  circle, 
however  small  it  may  be,  tells  practically  the  story 
of  the  entire  circle.  For,  as  Mr.  Gargan  knew 
Patrick  A.  Collins  in  the  large,  so  I  knew  him  in 
the  little,  and  the  little  that  I  knew  of  him,  compara- 
tively speaking,  tallies  quite  with  the  large  that 
Mr.  Gargan  knew  of  him. 

I  do  not  want  to  indulge  here  to-night  in  fulsome 
eulogy  of  Mr.  Collins.  I  do  not  want  to  extenuate 
any  of  his  faults  or  shortcomings.  I  do  not  want 
to  exaggerate   the  worth  of   the   man.      But  such  as 


36  MEMORIAL   OF 

he  was,  such  qualities  as  were  his,  I  want  here,  as 
one  who  appreciates  manhood,  to  commend.  We  are 
none  of  us  so  very  good;  on  the  other  hand,  there 
are  no  bad  men,  even  as  there  are  no  good  men. 
All  of  us  are  mixtures  of  good,  bad  and  indifferent 
qualities.  If  there  need  be  any  reason  for  making 
us  human  beings  sympathetic  with  one  another,  this 
one  touch  of  human  nature  ought  to  make  us  won- 
drous kind. 

With  the  late  Colonel  Ingersoll,  I  feel  that  it  were 
better  if  we  gave  one  another  "  more  taffy  and  less 
epitaphy"  —  that  is  to  say,  if  we  were  more  appre- 
ciative of  people  while  they  lived,  and  told  them 
frankly  our  appreciation,  and  were  less  prone  to  giv- 
ing them  posthumous  praise.  Therefore  I  do  not 
believe  in  fulsome  eulogies,  and,  to  be  quite  frank, 
I  take  part  only  reluctantly  in  these  or  any  other 
memorial  exercises. 

As  for  Patrick  A.  Collins,  no  one  will  claim  com- 
plete saintship  for  him,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  he 
needs  not  death's  charitable,  sin-covering  mantle  to 
hide  his  faults  and  make  us  aware  of  his  many  great 
and  good  qualities.  Of  these  I  want  to  select  but  one 
to  place  as  an  immortelle  upon  his  grave.  I  refer 
to  the  same  quality  which  Mr.  Gargan  has  already 
so  fully  appreciated  —  the  essential  humanness  of  this 
man.  I  do  not  mean  the  humanness  to  which  we 
refer  when  we  say,  trying  to  palliate  or  excuse  the 
shortcomings  of   a   man,  that  "  He  is    but   human " ; 


PATRICK  A.    COLLINS.  37 

but  I  mean  that  greater,  finer,  subtler  thing  that  I 
call  humanness,  a  subtle  quality  indeed,  but  the  finest 
flower  of  our  human  nature.  I  mean  a  tempera- 
mental love  of  human  kind  —  a  love  of  human  kind 
temperamental  in  some,  but  which  may  in  all  be 
cultivated. 

I  cannot  choose  but  be  the  preacher  whenever  I 
speak,  and  I  use  General  Collins  herein  as  my  text 
and  my  theme.  I  want  to  commend  his  humanness ; 
I  want  to  hold  up  to  admiration  and  to  emulation 
that  fine  quality.  I  must  say  that  I  do  not  feel,  as 
do  most  of  those  who  eulogize  the  departed,  that  I 
ought  to  indulge  in  mourning  or  in  public  grief.  I 
thank  God  for  every  great  and  good  man  and  woman 
that  ever  has  lived.  I  would  rather,  after  their 
physical  departure,  be  grateful  for  their  having  lived 
than  mourn  the  fact  that  they  are  no  more.  I  be- 
lieve that  when  such  a  one  dies  he  is  not  as  a  star 
that  has  set,  but  rather  as  a  star  that  has  been 
fixed  in  the  illimitable  ether;  not  as  a  tower  that 
has  fallen,  but  rather  as  a  tower  that  stands  forever, 
bidding  men  look  up  and  live  likewise.  And  those 
who  achieve  success  in  this  particular  regard,  in  this 
quality  of  humanness,  this  power  of  loving  their 
fellowmen  and  making  that  love  an  ever  present  and 
an  ever  active  quality,  are  the  nobles  of  the  earth. 

In  large  measure  I  found,  from  my  experience  and 
from  my  definite  impression  of  the  man,  that  Patrick 
A.  Collins  possessed    this    loveliest    of    human  traits, 


38  MEMORIAL   OF 

the  same  abundant  kindliness    which    enabled  Bobbie 
Burns,  frail  as  he  was,  to  exclaim : 

"  A  man's  a  man  for  a'  that. 
The  rank  is  but  the  guinea's  stamp, 
The  man's  the  gowd  for  a'  that. ' ' 

That  same  democratic,  intensely,  broadly  human 
instinct  once  led  Collins  to  answer  a  sectarian  and 
partisan  appeal  with  this  rebuke :  "  I  am  an  American 
first,  then  a  Democrat,  and  then  a  Catholic." 

Indeed,  he  proved  more  than  once  that  he  held  Man, 
writ  large,  to  be  the  largest  and  most  inclusive  title,  a 
sort  of  human  family  label,  the  others  only  "  Christian 
names,"  as  it  were.  I  remember  how,  expressing  that 
same  humanness,  that  love  of  his  kind,  he  stood  on 
this  platform,  a  little  more  than  a  year  ago,  giving 
welcome  on  behalf  of  the  City  of  Boston  to  the  esti- 
mable representatives  of  the  peace  societies  of  the 
world,  and  I  remember  how,  in  characteristic  fashion, 
he  introduced  the  occasion.  He  said  something  to  this 
effect,  —  that  a  man  may,  for  private  purposes,  formu- 
late his  own  religion;  that  he  may  use  the  already 
formulated  creeds  and  teachings  to  his  own  end  ;  that, 
therefore,  he  took  the  liberty  of  paraphrasing  two  of 
the  beatitudes  —  and  I  remember  that  he  paraphrased 
them  in  such  a  way  as  to  shock  the  orthodox,  the  con- 
servative and  the  radical  alike,  until  at  last  they 
caught  the  meaning  of  his  genial  wit  and  all  laughed 
with  him.     He  said  : 


PATRICK  A.    COLLINS.  39 

"  Blessed  are  the  peacemakers,  for  they  shall  be  called 
the  children  of  God ;  and  cursed  be  the  war-makers,  for 
they  shall  see  the  devil." 

Herein,  then,  in  this  quality  of  fine,  loving  human- 
ness,  I  find  Patrick  A.  Collins  an  example  particularly 
worthy  of  commendation  —  a  devout  sectarian,  a  loyal 
partisan,  a  patriotic  nationalist,  but,  first  and  foremost, 
a  genial  and  congenial  Man. 


ADDRESS 


JAMES   H.  WOLFF,  Esq., 

DEPARTMENT    COMMANDER  OF  THE  GRAND  ARMY  OF  THE 

REPUBLIC. 


Mr.   Chairman  and  Felloiv-citizens : 

I  am  here  this  evening  not  to  pronounce  a  fulsome 
eulogy  upon  the  life  and  character  of  our  late  distin- 
guished fellow-citizen,  Mayor  Patrick  A.  Collins,  but 
to  add  my  tribute  of  respect  to  his  memory,  as  the  rep- 
resentative of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He 
was  one  of  the  strongest  friends  the  veteran  soldier 
ever  had  in  the  mayoralty  chair  of  the  City  of  Boston. 

It  was  my  privilege  to  have  met  Mr.  Collins  nearly 
thirty  years  ago.  I  remember  my  introduction  to  him 
in  the  Old  Court-house,  the  year  that  I  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  As  I  came  down  from  the  upper  court, 
in  company  with  the  man  in  whose  office  the  Mayor 
had  started  as  a  boy,  I  was  introduced  to  him.  He 
grasped  my  hand  with  a  warmth  that  made  me  feel  the 
impulse  of  a  great,  warm  heart,  and  with  a  smile  he 
said,  "  Set  your  mark  high  in  your  chosen  profession 


MEMORIAL   OF  PATRICK  A.    COLLINS.  41 

and  strive  to  reach  it";  and  I  fully  realized  that  he 
himself  had  placed  his  mark  high  and  was  then  strug- 
gling to  reach  it. 

There  is  an  Indian  proverb  which  says ,  "  Speak, 
that  I  may  know  you."  When  he  had  spoken  to  me 
for  the  first  time  I  knew  that  he  was  a  man  of  great 
kindness  of  heart,  that  his  sympathies  with  man  and 
men  were  large  and  broad,  that  he  had  a  genial  face 
and  a  cordial  greeting. 

Mr.  Chairman,  I  fully  realize  that  our  lives  are 
not  always  easy,  nor  our  paths  paths  of  peace.  We 
meet  with  disappointments,  and  sometimes  our  hopes 
are  baffled ;  but  no  obstacle  or  difficulties  could  with- 
stand or  overcome  his  great  will  power.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  force  of  character,  a  man  who  was 
determined  to  reach  the  goal  at  all  hazards.  From 
the  moment  of  our  first  meeting  I  became  interested 
in  him,  watching  his  career  at  the  Bar  and  also  in 
the  National  House  of  Representatives,  and  seeing 
him  steadily  move  upward  and  onward,  until  at  last 
he  reached  the  crowning  summit  of  his  ambition, 
when  he  finally  became  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Boston, 
with  the  approval   of  all  political  parties. 

I  said  to  him  on  one  occasion,  during  a  stormy 
struggle  in  the  House,  "Mr.  Collins,  it  seems  to  me 
that  we  are  growing  somewhat  narrow  in  our  Repub- 
lic. It  seems  to  me  that  there  are  shadows  crossing 
the  pathway  of  the  American  people."  He  looked 
at   me    and    said,  "Why,  it   is    only   the  preparation 


42  MEMORIAL  "OF 

for  a  greater  and  a  nobler  Republic.  There  are  no 
shadows  in  our  pathway,  but  it  is  illuminated  with 
the  glory  and  the  heroism  of  the  statesmanship  and 
the  soldiery  of  our  land." 

He  demonstrated  in  his  person  more  fully  than 
any  other  man  I  ever  knew  the  possibilities  of  the 
youth  of  our  Republic,  regardless  of  race,  creed  or 
religion.  Coming  here  as  a  youth,  to  a  strange 
land,  he  was  able  to  so  implant  himself  in  the  hearts 
of  the  people  as  to  reach  the  highest  office  in  the 
City  of  Boston. 

Being  a  man  of  extraordinary  powers,  whatever 
Mr.  Collins  undertook  to  do  was  thoroughly  and 
accurately  done.  He  also  believed  that  character 
was  more  powerful  than  wealth;  therefore  no  man 
ever  assailed  his  integrity  as  a  man. 

He  was  a  magnificent  orator,  with  remarkable 
persuasive  powers.  I  remember  on  one  occasion 
in  one  of  our  courts,  during  the  trial  of  a  cause, 
it  seemed  to  me  that  his  eloquence  thrilled  the 
whole  court-room,  and  scarcely  had  he  ceased  speak- 
ing when  he  was  surrounded  and  congratulated  by 
the  members  of  the  Bar.  To  my  mind  he  was  one 
of  the  finest  type  of  orators  that  this  country  has 
produced.  Perhaps  he  never  studied  the  Athenian 
orators  very  closely;  but  I  have  come  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  he  was  a  fine  type  of  the  Athenian  orator. 

Yet,  as  Burke  exclaimed  on  one  occasion,  "What 
shadows  we  are  and  what  shadows  we  pursue ! "  My 


PATKICK  A.    COLLINS.  43 

fellow  citizens,  gathered  here  to-night  we  bow  in  rev- 
erence and  mourn  the  loss  of  this  distinguished 
citizen.  We  here  commemorate  his  virtues  and  pay 
tribute  to  his  great  achievements,  both  in  state  and 
nation.  We  are  grateful  in  the  consolation  that  his 
race  and  the  world  are  better  because  he  lived. 

There  is  one  thing  that  all  men  may  know,  that 
they  should  follow  the  great  precepts  of  the  Creator 
as  a  guide,  in  their  fidelity  to  the  teachings  of  Him 
when  He  speaketh :  "  To  the  dead  He  sayeth, 
'  Arise.'  To  the  living,  '  Follow  me.'  And  that 
voice  still  soundeth  on  from  centuries  that  are  gone 
to  the  centuries  that  shall  be." 


ADDRESS 


BY 


GEN.   CHARLES    W.    BARTLETT. 


Mr.  Mayor  and  Friends  of  General  Collins: 

I  have  listened  to  words  of  eulogy,  I  have  heard 
Mr.  Collins  idealized,  I  have  heard  words  of  praise, 
words  of  deep  feeling,  and  the  thought  occurred  to 
me,  "What  more  can  I  add  in  a  tribute  to  General 
Collins  to  that  which  has  already  been  said  by  our 
friends  who  addressed  you  before  my  turn  came?" 
I  had  thought  of  various  things  to  say.  I  am  not 
here  to  deliver  an  address,  and  what  I  have  to  say 
to  you  briefly  will  be  in  the  nature  of  a  talk,  while 
paying  my  feeble  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Mr. 
Collins  as  the  chief  magistrate  of  this  city  and  as 
my  almost  life-long  friend. 

It  is  almost  incredible  to  believe  that  we  never 
again  shall  see  his  tall  form  and  striking  features 
passing  through  our  streets  and  into  our  public, 
buildings.  His  kindly  greeting  and  that  pleasant 
smile  which  always  marked  him  brought  to  him 
friends,  and   linked  those  friends    to  him  by  a  kind 


MEMORIAL  OF  PATRICK  A.   COLLINS.  45 

of  magnetism  which  was  one  of  the  chief  character- 
istics of  his  make-up. 

In  the  performance  of  his  duty  times  would  come 
when  unpleasant  decisions  had  to  be  arrived  at,  and 
when  a  petitioner  presented  to  him  any  question, 
quickly,  with  almost  unerring  precision,  that  clear  and 
able  mind  would  strike  the  point  of  just  what  was 
asked  for.  If  it  could  be  granted,  and  the  petitioner 
displayed  his  joy,  Patrick  A.  Collins  joined  with 
him,  and  would  express  upon  those  mobile  features 
his  joy  at  being  able  to  grant  the  request;  but  when 
he  felt  that  the  petition  was  in  any  way  unjust,  or 
that  it  in  any  way  affected  adversely  the  people's 
interests,  that  firm  jaw  would  indicate  at  once  what 
the  decision  would  be.  I  have  seen  that  face 
expressing  the  deepest  sorrow  at  such  times,  but  his 
inflexible  regard  for  his  duty  would  see  that  justice 
was  done. 

Something  has  been  said  about  fulsome  words  of 
eulogy.  There  is  a  good  deal  in  that  remark.  We 
would  better  tell  the  truth  when  we  are  talking 
of  our  friends  and  paying  tribute  to  their  memory, 
because  sometimes  the  things  that  are  said  tend  toward 
satiety.  In  addition  to  the  characteristics  that  he 
had  as  a  public  officer,  I  would  like  to  speak  of 
Patrick  A.  Collins  as  a  friend.  The  first  time  I  ever 
met  him  in  his  law  office,  do  you  suppose  that 
there  was  grief?  Do  you  suppose  there  was  a  lodge 
of    sorrow    formed    there?     Not    by   any   means.      I 


46  MEMOEIAL   OF 

can  remember  that  sitting  on  his  desk  was  an  owl. 
He  said  to  me,  calling  me  by  my  first  name, 
"That  was  presented  to  me  by  John  Boyle  O'Reilly 
as  my  silent  partner."  It  was  in  that  vein  always 
that  I  knew  him.  I  am  going  to  risk  one  other 
thing,  even  if  this  is  a  solemn  occasion,  in  one 
sense,  for  I  think  if  Brother  Collins  were  here  he 
would  enjoy  the  bringing  back  to  his  mind  of  this 
little  incident.  You  remember  that  he  met  with  a 
little  rebuff  when  he  first  ran  for  mayor.  I  saw  him 
after  his  election,  the  second  time  that  he  ran,  and 
I  said  to  him,  "  What  made  you  go  after  this  thing 
again  ?  "  He  said,  "  I  dislike  very  much  to  form  the 
habit  of  getting  beaten." 

I  knew  him  as  a  lawyer,  tried  cases  with  him  and 
against  him,  and  his  chief  characteristic  as  an  advo- 
cate was  his  absolute  fairness.  At  no  time  or  place 
was  his  conduct  of  a  case  marked  by  any  unworthy 
practices.  You  knew  when  you  were  there  that  he 
was  around,  taking  care  of  his  interests;  but  in 
taking  care  of  them  he  was  absolutely  fair,  and 
he  so  carried  on  his  contest  in  behalf  of  his  clients 
as   to  protect  their  proper,  legal  and  just  rights. 

You  can  readily  see  that,  meeting  him  as  a  friend, 
meeting  him  as  an  attorney,  meeting  him  as  a  public 
official,  and  finding  him  at  all  times  characterized 
by  sterling  integrity,  undertaking  to  do  that  which 
was  absolutely  right,  absolutely  truthful,  Patrick  A. 
Collins  would  grow  on  a  man  as  time  went  by. 


PATRICK   A.   COLLINS.  47 

In  the  community  we  speak  of  a  man's  reputa- 
tion. Reputation  is  what  men  say  of  a  man.  You 
will  also  hear  the  expression,  "  the  character  of  a 
man."  Sometimes  reputation  does  not  represent  the 
man,  but  character  does,  and  those  who  were  nearest 
to  Patrick  A.  Collins  had  an  opportunity  to  judge 
what  the  distinction  between  reputation  and  char- 
acter was.  Character  was  what  he  was;  reputa- 
tion was  what  people  said  of  him.  That  character 
he  maintained.  It  was  a  character  that  he  built 
up  in  his  early  life,  and  he  maintained  that  char- 
acter to  the  end ;  and  that  that  was  so  I  ask  you 
to  judge  yourselves  from  this  fact,  that  while 
Patrick  A.  Collins  was  the  chief  magistrate  of  the 
City  of  Boston  the  people  of  Boston,  one  and  all, 
without  regard  to  party  or  creed,  felt  safe.  They 
had  that  innate  feeling  of  safety  that  was  based 
upon  the  character  of  the  man.  As  time  goes  on 
that  character  will  become  better  and  more  widely 
known,  and  in  all  the  long  list  of  magistrates  who 
have  been  before  and  of  those  who  are  to  come,  no 
name,  in  my  judgment,  will  stand  higher  than  that 
of  Patrick  A.  Collins. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  addresses  the  Apollo  Club  sung 
u  The  Long  Day  Closes"  (Sullivan),  and  the  benediction  was 
pronounced  by  Right  Reverend  William  Lawrence,  Bishop  of 
Massachusetts,  as  follows : 

Unto  God's  gracious  mercy  and  protection  we 
commit    you.     The    Lord    bless    you    and    keep    you. 


48  MEMORIAL  OF   PATRICK  A.    COLLINS. 

The  Lord  make  his  face  to  shine  upon  you  and  be 
gracious  unto  you.  The  Lord  lift  up  his  countenance 
upon  you  and  give  you  peace,  both  now  and  for- 
evermore.     Amen. 

The  exercises  closed  with  the  singing  of  ' '  The  Lost  Chord  " 
(Sullivan-Brewer)  by  the  Apollo  Club,  and  an  organ  finale  by 
Mr.  John  A.  O'Shea. 


LETTERS   OF   REGRET. 


The  following  letters  were  received  by  the  committee  and  were 
read  at  the  exercises  : 

The  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts, 

Executive  Chambeb,  State  House, 

Boston,  December  15,  1905. 

Deab  Sib,  —  Your  invitation  in  behalf  of  the  City  Council  of  Boston 
for  me  to  attend  the  Memorial  Exercises  in  honor  of  the  late  Mayor 
Patrick  A.  Collins,  on  Wednesday  evening,  December  20th,  at  Tremont 
Temple,  has  been  received. 

I  am  much  pleased  to  learn  tbat  the  Boston  City  Government  has 
seen  fit  to  arrange  such  exercises  as  will  properly  indicate  the  high 
esteem  in  which  the  late  Mayor  Collins  was  held  by  his  colleagues  and 
friends,  and  I  regret  exceedingly  tbat  I  shall  be  unable  to  be  present  on 
that  occasion. 

Thanking  you  for  the  invitation,  I  beg  to  remain, 

Yours  respectfully, 

W.  L.  Douglas. 
Hon.  John  E.  Baldwin,  Chairman. 


Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts, 
Council  Chambeb,  Boston,  December  15,  1905. 

Hon.  John  E.  Baldwin, 

Chairman  Collins  Memorial  Committee  : 
My  Deab  Mb.  Baldwin,  —  I  am  in  receipt  of  your  very  kind  invita- 
tion to  attend  the  -  memorial  exercises  in  honor  of  our  friend,  the  late 
Hon.  Patrick  A.  Collins,  on  Wednesday  evening  next. 

I  am  slowly  recovering  from  the  result  of  a  painful  surgical  operation, 
and  my  physician  bas  forbidden  my  attendance  at  public  functions  tak- 
ing place  in  the  evening  until  I  am  completely  recovered.  It  has  been  a 
privilege  to  me  to  take  part  at  the  various  exercises  which  have  been 
held,  and  you  may  be  quite  sure  tbat  nothing  but  the  condition  of  my 
health  could  prevent  my  acceptance  of  your  invitation. 
With  high  personal  regard,  believe  me, 

Cordially  yours, 

Cuetis  Guild,  Jb. 


50  MEMORIAL   OF 

Boston,  Mass.,  December  15,  1905. 

My  Dear  Sir,  —  I  feel  honored  by  the  invitation  to  be  one  of  those 
to  make  a  short  address  at  the  memorial  exercises  of  our  late  Mayor 
Patrick  A.  Collins,  on  the  evening  of  December  20th.  It  is  with  regret 
I  write  you  that  I  shall  be  unable  to  be  there. 

I  have  known  "P.  A."  from  childhood,  have  entertained  him  and 
been  entertained  by  him  both  in  America  and  in  England.  He  has 
been  of  great  service  to  his  country  and  to  our  city.  He  was  able  and 
honest  and  he  holds  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts  of  all  his  countrymen. 
How  can  he  help  it?  —  a  public  man  who  placed  his  allegiance  to  his 
adopted  country  above  party,  race  or  people.  He  took  pride  in  saying 
that  he  was  an  American  before  he  was  a  Democrat. 

If  the  coming  generation  in  public  life  will  take  him  for  their  example 
we  need  not  despair  of  the  Eepublic. 

I  am,  with  great  respect, 

Very  truly  yours, 

Charles  T.  Gallagher. 
John  F.  Dever,  Esq., 

Clerk  of  Committees,  City  Hall,  Boston. 


Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology, 

Office  of  the  President,  December  19,  1905. 
The  Chairman,  Committee  on  Memorial  to  Mayor  Collins: 

Dear  Sir,  —  I  regret  extremely  that  an  unavoidable  absence  from 
Boston  prevents  my  presence  at  the  meeting  called  in  memory  of  the 
services  and  the  life  of  the  late  Mayor  Collins.  I  esteem  it  an  honor  and 
a  privilege  to  have  known  Mayor  Collins,  and  I  should  be  glad  to  add 
my  testimony  to  that  of  other  citizens  in  appreciation  of  his  integrity 
of  character,  his  courage,  and  his  high-minded  attitude  toward  public 
questions.  In  addition,  those  who  came  to  know  him  personally  can 
never  forget  his  genial  nature,  his  uprightness,  and  his  faithfulness  to 
his  friendships.  We  have  lost  a  citizen  and  a  friend  whom  we  cannot 
replace,  and  whose  memory  we  shall  always  hold  dear. 

Very  sincerely, 

Henry  S.  Pritchett. 


TRIBUTE  FROM  GEN.  CHARLES  H.  TAYLOR. 

It  has  been  my  happy  privilege  to  know  three  men  of  Irish  birth  who 
did  much  to  promote  and  establish,  on  the  sound  basis  of  mutual  respect 
and  confidence,  a  good  understanding  between  the  peoples  of  different 
races  dwelling  in  Boston,    in  Massachusetts,   and  in  New  England. 


PATRICK  A.    COLLINS.  51 

Others  have  contributed  their  share,  but  these  three  were  my  friends, 
and,  therefore,  I  can  bear  witness  to  what  Patrick  Donahoe,  John  Boyle 
O'Reilly  and  Patrick  A.  Collins  did  for  this  good  cause,  how  out  of  their 
love  for  their  f ellowmen  an  enduring  bridge  was  wrought  ,and  thrown 
across  the  old  chasm  of  misunderstanding. 

Donahoe  was  the  business  man,  and  his  honorable  dealing,  courtly 
manners  and  handsome  person  left  a  lasting  impression  in  business 
circles. 

O'Reilly,  the  poet,  won  by  his  gifts  an  honored  place  among  men  of 
letters  and  sang  his  way  into  all  our  hearts. 

Collins  was  the  lawyer,  the  orator,  the  public  man.  By  his  legal 
talents  he  gained  the  esteem  of  bench  and  bar;  through  his  native 
eloquence  he  became  a  popular  favorite  all  over  the  country ;  his  sane 
and  ready  judgment  on  political  questions  made  him  the  compeer  of  the 
leading  statesmen  of  his  time;  his  stern  integrity  secured  for  him  the 
confidence,  while  his  gentle  Irish  wit  enlisted  the  affections,  of  all  our 
people. 

This  community  which  he  loved  and  served  so  well  was  united  in  its 
admiration  of  Patrick  A.  Collins  living.  We  all  remember  how  com- 
pletely it  was  united  in  its  mourning  for  him  dead,  how  rich  and  poor, 
how  races  and  creeds  and  parties  were  fused  and  welded  in  a  common 
sorrow  for  a  loss  that  seemed  personal  to  every  one  in  all  the  city. 

He  was  a  manly  man  among  manly  men,  and  filled  the  public  positions 
to  which  he  was  called  with  high  honor  and  in  a  manner  which  reflected 
credit  upon  his  city,  his  state,  his  country,  his  party,  and  his  friends. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH, 


Patrick  A.  Collins  was  born  in  Ballinafauna,  County  Cork, 
Ireland,  March  12,  1844.  Shortly  after  the  death  of  his  father, 
Bartholomew  Collins,  he  was  brought  to  this  country  by  his 
mother,  arriving  in  Boston  in  March,  1848.  After  a  few  years 
in  the  primary  and  grammar  schools,  at  the  age  of  eleven  he 
became  office  boy  in  a  lawyer's  office.  In  1857  he  went  to  Ohio, 
where  he  spent  two  years  in  various  occupations,  and  in  1859  he 
returned  to  Boston  and  engaged  in  the  upholstering  business,  at 
which  he  worked  for  eight  years.  In  1867  he  began  to  study  law 
and  also  became  interested  in  politics.  He  was  elected  from 
South  Boston  to  the  Massachusetts  House  of  Representatives  for 
the  years  1868  and  1869  and  to  the  State  Senate  for  the  years 
1870  and  1871.  At  the  close  of  his  term  in  the  Senate  he  opened 
a  law  office  and  began  active  practice.  In  1875  he  was  elected  a 
delegate-at-large  from  Massachusetts  to  the  National  Convention 
of  the  Democratic  party,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  national 
campaign  of  1876  and  the  State  campaigns  of  1876,  1877  and 
1878.  In  the  fall  of  1882  he  was  elected  to  Congress  from  the 
Fourth  Massachusetts  district  and  served  three  successive  terms. 
President  Cleveland,  in  1893,  appointed  him  Consul-General  at 
London,  which  office  he  filled  for  four  years.  In  1899  he  was  a 
candidate  for  Mayor  of  Boston,  but  was  defeated  by  a  close  vote. 
In  1901  he  was  elected  Mayor  by  a  plurality  of  nearly  20,000  in 
a  total  vote  of  about  85,000,  and  after  serving  his  two  years'  term 
he  was  re-elected  by  a  plurality  of  26,500  in  a  total  vote  of 
71,000,  the  largest  plurality  ever  given  for  the  office  in  the  City 
of  Boston.  His  death  occurred  during  his  second  term  as 
Mayor  while  on  a  short  vacation  trip  at  Hot  Springs,  Virginia, 
September  14,  1905. 


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